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Coffee Houses of Charleston IL
There are three different coffee houses in Charleston, Illinois (information of Charleston) that Eastern Illinois University (EIU Website) students visit to read, do homework, or just hang out: Java Beanery and Bakery (J B&B site on Eastern),Jackson Avenue Coffee House (JAC’s website), and Starbucks (Starbucks' website) Contents 1. J B&B 1.1 Location 1.1.1 EIU Campus 1.1.2 MLK Union 1.2 Amenities 1.3 Products & Pricing 1.4 Staff 1.5 Downsides 2. JAC’s 2.1 Location 2.1.1 Downtown Charleston 2.2 Amenities 2.3 Products & Pricing 2.4 Staff 2.5 Downsides 3. Starbucks 3.1 Location 3.2 Amenities 3.3 Products & Pricing 3.4 Staff 3.5 Downsides Java Beanery & Bakery Location EIU Campus The J B&B is located in the center of Eastern Illinois University’s campus (EIU map) near the Physical Science building, Olde Main, and Booth Library. Martin Luther King Jr. Union The J B&B is one of the many shops located in the eastern end of the union. The coffee area is situated next to the Panther Pantry and across from the Bookstore. There is a little dining area right next to the cash register where students can sit, read, study, socialize, etc. The Union is usually a busy area with students coming and going all of the time. Students are able just to sit and socialize Amenities The dining area provides comfortable couches and different size tables: larger ones for students to study in groups and smaller ones to allow privacy. It also allows access to the campus wireless service to surf the Internet. It is also right next to the bookstore and the Panther pantry allowing additional areas of commerce. Products & Pricing The J B&B accepts Panther Cards linked to the debit account, dining dollars, and cash. The shop provides an assortment of hot drinks, cold drinks, ice cream, baked goods, and other seasonal specials. The baked goods are always baked fresh and there is a large variety of bagels and muffins. They even offer day old muffins for a slightly reduced price. The pricing of the coffee and tea is average in the area, around a dollar fifty per cup. The baked goods are reasonably priced as well as the rest of their seasonal specials. Staff The staff is made up of all college students. The employment for the J B&B is done through the Union. The students are usually warm and inviting, though sometimes during the busy times of days, like the morning, the students can seem stressed and distracted. Most of the time, however, they food and drinks are consistent and well made. Downsides Some of the negative aspects of the J B&B would be the fact that they don’t accept regular debit cards. Although there is an ATM just around the corner and there is the First Mid Bank upstairs, it is still inconvenient to have to go to one of those locations if you were in a hurry. Also due to the fact that it is on campus, the shop is usually crowded in the mornings when it is open. Since it is student employed university run the hours are not very open. It is also closed when the university is. Jackson Avenue Coffee House Location Downtown Charleston JAC’s is located just off the square in historic downtown Charleston. It is an older building that is locally owned. It is quite away from Eastern’s campus. If you drive down Seventh St. and turn right on Jackson Ave. Amenities There is a very large seating area in front and in the back there is a stage where they perform open mic nights every Thursday night from 8-10. They shop is open seven days a week although since it is locally owned, the hours are subject to change occasionally. There is also local art on the walls that is available for purchase. Products & Pricing Along with the local art there is also an assortment of coffee’s and baked goods. There is a wide variety of hot and cold drinks including chai tea, special hot chocolates, and smoothies. The specialty drinks get more expensive as they get more complex. A regular cup of coffee is reasonable and they do allow for fifty cent refills. There isn’t a lot of variety of baked items. They range from bagels, packaged muffins, to cookies. The sandwiches have a wider selection and accommodate for vegetarian customers. Every Wednesday JAC’s offers Waffle Wednesday, and they have a special on Belgian waffles. Staff The staff is comprised of people who are both locals and college students. Many of them were patrons of the store or knew the owner before they began working there. The workers don’t have a set way to make the drinks so there are some varied results when you receive them from different people. Downsides This is not so much of a college hang out as it is a high school/locals place. It is made to be family friendly and there are several occasions where studying can be near impossible due to children. It is also a bit of a hike away from campus and a lot of the college living areas. Starbucks Location The location is on the main road, Lincoln Avenue, on the corner of E street, across the street form County Market. Starbucks is one of the many shops that are in the strip area. Next to it is Boric’s Hair Salon and Sprint wireless store. The walk from campus would be several blocks but it is just straight west from the college down Lincoln Ave. Amenities Starbucks has now put free wireless Internet in all of their locations. It also has various tables, chairs and a small area for couches. There is an outdoor area to sit when the weather is nice as well. There is also a drive threw ordering window if you are in a hurry in the morning and need to get coffee before work or class. Products & Pricing The products range from any kind of Frappacino you could imagine to coffees, teas, smoothies, sandwiches, and packaged granola bars and nuts. They also offer packaged goods that appeal to the health conscious as well as people with special eating requirement. Staff The morning staff is always very friendly and eager to start your day off with a smile and quick service. Although, they have occasionally had trouble hearing through the drive threw ordering system, they are always willing to fix any mistakes made to the order. The afternoon staff differs slightly. They don’t seem to be in such a good mood and are not as willing to talk to you when you drive up or go inside. But they are still sympathetic to their customers coffee requirements and every cup or drink tastes the same as the one you had before. Downsides Since Starbucks is a corporation, the food has to be the same at every location. So it arrives frozen and is then thawed by the staff for the day. If they run out of a certain pastry or other food item, then it is gone for the day. Also you are not able to specialize the sandwiches in any way. Although it is closer than JAC’s, Starbucks location still provides a bit of a walk from the college campus and the dining room inside is small and gets crowded easily. For a small town, Charleston has a surprising amount of different coffee houses for students to go to. Although they all offer similar food and drinks, the service and the consistency in the quality of beverages varies. The atmosphere is also quite different in each one. Depending on what the student wants to do, whether hang out and listen to music at JAC's, study in a quiet setting at Starbucks, or socialize and meet friends at J B&B, Charleston offers it all.